Lawrence’s birthday cake will qualify for 150 candles Sept. 18, 2004.

That sounds like a long way down the road, but committees are already discussing ways to say “Happy Birthday, Law-rence.” They have been since 1999.

This pen-and-ink drawing is one artist's conception of what Lawrence looked like in 1854. The view looks north toward the Kansas River. The building third from the left, at bottom, is Charles Stern's Eating House. To the right of that is the headquarters of the Immigrant Aid Company of Massachusetts.

“We’d like this celebration to be countywide, not just a Lawrence event,” said Clenece Hills, Sesquicentennial board president. “And we’d like to involve as many community members as possible.”

Hills was chairwoman of the Douglas County Bicentennial committee. The planning for that event began in 1973 and ended on the Fourth of July in 1976. A retired school teacher, Hills ended a 40-year career teaching English at Central and South junior high schools.

“There are lots of ways people can get involved,” she said. “We’re talking about schools doing their histories, individual classrooms researching students of the 1850s, neighborhoods the old houses in Lawrence all have histories, families with early county ties and the churches. How about KU? Wouldn’t you like to see the Rock Chalk Review in the spring of 2004 with a sesquicentennial theme?”

Hills speaks with the conviction of an evangelist.

“We want people to understand this is for everyone. We want them to look at our Web site (www.Lawrence150.org) see where they want to get involved.”

What can you do?

She already has made speeches to Rotarians, Optimists and literary organizations. Other board members are Bruce Flanders, William Crowe and Ron Hurst, plus at-large members Judy Billings, James Paddock and Trudy Rice. All are available to speak to groups about the celebration.

Hills said, “We want to know if the Kiwanis Club is going to build a float. We’d like to know what people think a reasonable gift to the city would be. Would it be a park? An amphitheater? Commission a book on the history of Lawrence? Or wouldn’t it be nice if someone would step forward with the offer to do one?”

Four committees already are involved in planning for 2004. For education, Bruce Flanders is chairman; Mary Doveton and Ann Evans are chairwomen for festivals; Paul Stuewe is chairman for heritage, and Mary Burchill is chairwoman for horizons.

All can be contacted through the Web site.

Committee members Diana Carlin, Mike Rundle and Sue Hack are pursuing the idea of a 2004 presidential debate in Lawrence.

	www.Lawrence150.org

“We’ve sent a letter to the executive director of presidential debates asking to be notified when they are considering bids for 2004 locations,” Carlin said. She is dean of Kansas University’s Graduate School and an authority on presidential debates.

“This area has so much rich history to offer as a background for the debates,” Carlin said. “The Lincoln-Douglas debates all included the Kansas-Nebraska Act that allowed states to decide their stand on slavery, 2004 will be the 50th anniversary of Brown vs. the Topeka Board of Education and we have the Dole Institute and KU with built-in commentators for the discussions and workshops that precede the actual debates.”

Other ideas

At last Monday’s general meeting of the Sesquicentennial committees, Stuewe outlined the Heritage group’s work on plans for an “Heirloom Garden” south of the Murphy-Bromelsick house in Hobbs Park, 1004 Del. The garden would feature plants typical of the 1860s-1890s, involve tours, master gardeners, 4-H and possibly New York School students.

At the same meeting, David Carttar projected versions of a “bird’s-eye view” map he’s preparing that will show the evolution of Lawrence from 1854 by using different colors for the streets, parks and plots of land during six different time periods: 1854, 1879, 1904, 1954, 1979 and 2004. It’s possible the map, along with period photos and drawings, will be available in CD-ROM format.

Other ideas hatched during brainstorming sessions:

Spearhead a neighborhood home decorating contest for July 4, 2004.

Enter a float, marching unit or decorated bike in the Sesquicentennial Parade.

Write a poem, song or story about Lawrence history and send it to the Festivals Committee.

Make a poster, sculpture, quilt, tile or paint a picture and tell the committee where it’s displayed.

Do a family history and post it on www.lawrence150.org

Plant a tree and identify it as a gift to Lawrence or Douglas County.

Organize a film festival of movies about Kansas and Douglas County.

Help produce a video to showcase Lawrence.

There’s talk of parades, a wall plastered with photos of Douglas County residents along with the dates they arrived, whether recent or old, historic farm and home tours, publishing a calendar, involving Lawrence’s sister cities in Japan and Germany, garden workshops and Haskell’s 120th anniversary.

Many more ideas can be seen on the Sesquicentennial Web site.